Wit and Sin

Originally posted on Joyfully Reviewed: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/reviews/Jan10/angelicavenger.KC.html

Don’t do any more favors for angels – that’s something Arabella Morrison needs to remember. Bella damaged the cosmic balance by committing suicide over her ruined life at the hands of her scumbag fiancé, so she’s been working off the cosmic slight by taking a job as a Reaper (as in Grim). Bella harvests souls, keeps the local population of shifters in line, and – when she she’s all-too-often talked into it – runs errands for the plethora of angels that pop in and out of her apartment.

The last thing Bella expects is the latest favor to throw her headfirst into the path of Gray Devereau, a devastatingly handsome half-breed angel. Bella’s more than somewhat wary of relationships given how her life ended, but a simple fling just isn’t something Gray seems willing to agree to. And soon Gray’s not the only sexy, difficult man invading Bella’s space. With a shifter rebellion threatening and a young half-breed angel’s life in danger, the usually solitary Bella has more angels, half-breeds, shifters, and Reapers in her afterlife than she ever could have imagined.

Deal with a brewing rebellion? Sure. Protect a child? Absolutely. Bring down the testosterone level of the clashing males in her apartment? Err…okay. Fall in love again? It’ll be a cold day in Hell before that happens…maybe…

The afterlife has never been so exciting as in this action-packed, fascinating book by Kaye Chambers. Angelic Avenger starts off what is sure to be an amazing series with a bang. Ms. Chambers brings to life a complex world of angels, shifters, and more, but weaves in world-building and her large cast of characters to the plot so seamlessly that the story flows perfectly.

Central to the tale is Bella Morrison, a Reaper with a one-way ticket to Hell waiting to be cashed in because of her suicide. Quite simply, I loved Bella, and this story would never have worked so well if she weren’t a lethal, caring, interesting character. She grabbed my attention from the get-go, as did her hero. Gray may be mortal (and I might have been left with a few questions about how things will continue to work between them), but he’s every bit a match for Bella. His powers stemming from his angelic parentage aren’t the only whammy he packs; Gray’s sensual personality does that well enough on its own.

Filling out Angelic Avenger are a whole host of supporting characters and I won’t spoil the fun by giving details on them. I cannot, however, write about Angelic Avenger without giving mention to one of Bella’s closest friends, Foras, the Devil’s General. Gray might be Bella’s hero, but I admit Ms. Chambers made me want to steal the dark, brilliant, sex-on-a-stick archangel Foras for myself (and it’s a true pity to me that I can’t).

As I am invariably distracting myself with thoughts of Foras, I’ll wrap up with saying Ms. Chambers definitely has me on the edge of my seat for the next Angelic Avengers tale (and no, not just because of Foras). All in all I found Angelic Avenger an utterly beguiling read with its kick-ass heroine, delicious hero, unique secondary characters, and intriguing, original world.